“Laughter is an instant vacation.” said Milton Berle. Here at NK, we would like to contribute to lightening your mood in preparation for a meaningful and relaxed weekend. So here’s the tongue- in-cheek look at the events of the week gone by that you’ve been waiting for :)
Death, like life has always been a conundrum of individual choice – Individuals do not choose to be born, and cannot choose to die for the same reason. Did he (includes ‘she’ and other genders) want to be born, given his parents’ antecedents, circumstances, location and religion? (It’s another matter that despite these not being his choice, as he grows up, he makes them his own and fights tooth and nail for the perceived sanctity of all of these, including killing others for any or all of them). So, he didn’t have a choice when he was born and to whom – somebody else decided that for him – and it’s only natural that he doesn’t have the choice to die. But, there is a difference – No one else could have decided about his death too (except in the case of murder or an accident) until this week, when the Indian Supreme Court’s constitutional bench said both, he himself and his loved ones may do so, subject to following its prescribed guidelines. Some loved ones will love the opportunity perhaps…
Thus, the concept of a living will that strangely, speaks about death was born in India. With a living will, literally, he can sign his own execution warrant – to be executed when he can no longer execute it! Passive Euthanasia as a concept was already provided for in the 2011 judgement and read with this judgement, death is now a choice for him and his loved ones to make (the ones who gave him a birth he didn’t want (given his current circumstances) and others who possibly helped him give birth to those who may not have wanted to be born) – but, only if available medicine cannot cure him – not if he cannot afford to pay for it. There’s a big difference – the latter would mean active euthanasia… by the government!
In a separate judgement on a matter that has been troubling the ‘aam aadmi’ and tech experts alike, the Supreme Court extended indefinitely the March 31st deadline to link the Aadhaar card with the Mobile no. Bank Account et al. It will still be required to receive Govt. handouts, and open bank accounts (to avoid black transactions or fraudulent I LOU’s the saying, signing and handing over of which have been banned by the RBI in the wake of the NM scam (Nirav Modi Scam – don’t let your imagination run wild!). What does this really mean for you? It means no more standing in queues to get one, sign one and give one to so many people begging or threatening you for it – over the phone, over the mail, or by whatever means they can adopt. You can now officially tell them to back off – politely of course. That’s a big relief, especially for those with salaried jobs, but for how long is hard to say. (But, that does not worry the government because unemployment is any way high). What is easy is not government and what is government is not easy – Old Phantom saying!
Staying with the Judiciary, based on the processes of the court, the judgements delivered and the time taken, especially over the last few months, it would seem that the judicial system operates on two legal premises rather than one (which it is supposed to) – one based on the constitutional frame work (one is innocent until proven guilty) and other on the governmental framework (one is harassed until proven innocent)! The twain rarely meet and the governmental framework often takes precedence, because the implementation of the constitutional framework is within their ambit, though they may, like St. Peter, deny it more than three times and if the cock crows – throw it in jail!. The common factor in both frameworks is time which is a long drawn constant for most and a short variable for only a chosen few and constitutes harassment in itself. Still none are willing to compress it for the benefit of the litigant or society – not the government, not the legal fraternity nor the judiciary.
After a terrorist attack, or a crime in the city, there is clamour for the installation of CCTV’s and other electronic surveillance devices and millions of rupees are spent on this equipment. I often wonder why and the wonderment only became more pronounced when the JFM Court in Mangalore acquitted all the accused in the infamous Amnesia pub attack case of 2009 for, hilariously, lack of evidence. Everything including the brazen admissions of guilt were on video tape, but all that was apparently just a soap opera for television, not evidence in a court of law. Is then a post mortem videotaped for morbid voyeurism?
Legal eagles on television say that one of the reasons for the acquittal was that the victims didn’t give evidence of their assault or molestation in court and submit themselves to cross examination. After such trauma, even if it weren’t at the Amnesia pub, amnesia does set in immediately. Over nine years, the memories (memories?) would have dissolved into the blood. Secondly, it was not personal enmity that caused the assault that they had to file a complaint and give evidence of wrong doing for a second public embarrassment. It was a public interest litigation filed suo moto by the police against an illegal act by a few to ensure law and order in the society. Most students of common sense will understand that but, not those of the law which one presumes has a much higher standard of learning – beyond the reach of the common man and his senses. The next logical step then would be to wake up the murder victim to give his testimony and ask him to submit himself to cross examination. He will be really cross at that.
The pull of polls is never far away and this week’s by polls to three Lok Sabha seats, including the one vacated by the current Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh proved to be ‘bye-bye polls’ for the ruling party in the two states and the centre. It must have come as a high voltage and rude shock to them just after the euphoria they experienced after a NE sweep (not really, but they prefer to call it that). Whether the wheels of the chariot are coming apart is difficult to say, but certainly, they will need a dose of wheel alignment.
Meanwhile, the chairperson of the erstwhile UPA, hosted a dinner aimed at promoting ‘amity and friendship’ among ‘like-minded parties’. Reports say that leaders of 20 opposition parties were present for the greet, meet and eat session. There were no hugs, a few bugs and lots of tugs – not of war, but of friendship. Unless these parties receive the famous bear hug, they are likely to stand together and not apart, which does not portend well for the ruling party that has been governing the country with iron fists, its caged falcons (with sharpened talons) and a minority of the popular vote – around 35%. The 2019 game of thrones has just begun.
Lenin was buried in Tripura and resurrected almost immediately in Maharashtra with a long march reminiscent of the 1934 march of Mao Tse Tung’s Army – we know what the outcome of that march was – it reverberates at our borders every day. Here too, the 35000 + farmers and tribals organized by the CPM that marched from Nasik to the seat of power in Mumbai achieved all their objectives, without mayhem, without shedding blood, without disrupting exams or traffic and helped and fed by the people of Mumbai. That’s what true democracy, not communism, not ‘namo’cracy is all about.
Have a great weekend and a good week ahead.
The author may be contacted at brian@newskarnataka.com
